"FOOTBALLWest Ham United are poised to sign Andy Carroll on a permanent basis, reports the Newcastle Chronicle.

The paper says West Ham have planned talks with their former striker - who is on loan at Upton Park from Liverpool - before he plays for against Reading on Sunday in the Hammers' final game of the season.

A £17m fee for the 24-year-old's services has already been agreed between Liverpool - who signed him from Newcastle for £35m - and West Ham."

EXCLUSIVE: Andy Carroll hoping to hammer home West Ham switch from Liverpool

ANDY CARROLL is close to completing a deal to move to West Ham on a permanent transfer.

The England striker desperately wants to stay at Upton Park, having developed a strong relationship with manager Sam Allardyce after joining on loan.

Liverpool want £17million for him, but West Ham have offered only £10m for a player who left Newcastle two and a half years ago for £35m, still the record for a British player .

West Ham are hoping that a deal for about £12m will persuade Anfield manager Brendan Rodgers to sell, especially as he is adamant he wants the forward out of his club. Carroll scored just six league goals for the Reds but, since moving to East London, has begun to flourish, and his form in the past few weeks has been eye-catching.

It took the striker until November to find the net for the Hammers after his season-long loan move, and he finished the season with only seven Premier League goals. But he has started to blossom under Allardyce, and with former Magpies team-mate Kevin Nolan alongside him

Carroll, 24, has now told his agent to secure a permanent switch to the Hammers and Allardyce is determined to sign the striker at what he believes would be a bargain fee.

The striker has been involved in numerous off-the-pitch controversies since breaking into Newcastle’s team back in 2006, including fracturing defender Steven Taylor’s jaw during an altercation at the Magpies’ training ground three years ago.

But he believes he has matured and his behaviour has improved significantly since moving to the capital, while his performances in the last quarter of the season were increasingly effective.

Now hopeful of an international recall, Carroll wants the deal to be completed before Roy Hodgson’s England squad travel to South America for their post-season mini-tour.

Former club Newcastle have also shown an interest in Gateshead-born Carroll but, now, would struggle to meet his £90,000-a-week wages.

Now is the time to invest in quality , and if we blow most of our kitty on Andy Carroll , then great , he is only 24 , then next year we can add another piece of quality to the jigsaw , and the same the following year , it's the only way of challenging for any honours as well as retaining Premiership standing .Quality , not dross .

The Old Man of Storr wrote:Now is the time to invest in quality , and if we blow most of our kitty on Andy Carroll , then great , he is only 24 , then next year we can add another piece of quality to the jigsaw , and the same the following year , it's the only way of challenging for any honours as well as retaining Premiership standing .Quality , not dross .

I agree that anything under £15 million has to be a bargain. Yes, other people have got better bargains: Beneteke £7m Michu £2 million (I think) but this would be a Spuds kind of buy. Pay a reasonable amount for a young player. An England striker aged 24 with all the physical attributes can only get better. Even if he's just the next Emile Heskey or Peter Crouch, that wouldn't be a bad investment. Mind you, I would also like us to lose Carlton, Maiga, Chamakh etc and get in fresh striking blood.

my mates son has just signed for the club at 9 years of age - they offered him tickets to the wigan game and he said ' no thanks ' ......one of the coaches asked him who he supported and he said Barca & Man City (his mum)......everyone said fair enough and chuckled. he will be the next julian dicks keep an ear out for him Archie Kieran - you heard it here first

a couple of years ago we gave him all of my sons west ham kits handed down and he supported us for about a year - which was hilarious until my mate got my son to support arsenal for 10 weeks.

Chicken Run Supreme wrote:I would love to see AC's permanent signing confirmed on the pitch on Sunday before we tear those Berkshire Hunts a new one.

Carroll is reported as saying he wants to go on holiday, think about his future and discuss it friends, as I have said before Andy Carroll is only interested in himself, we should pay no more than £10 million to Liverpool for him, but the real problem for me is his £90,000 weekly salary, he is no way worth that! it sends out the completely wrong message to any players who join us, 7 goals in 23 games???

Hasn't that guy got something to do with David Gold as well? Doesn't mean we'll sign him of course but encouraging that we're trying to get him. I woud be so happy if we got him on a permanent... we can't lose him!